The use of automated equipment has become very popular in many industries as a way to reduce cost, increase production, and reduce error. Automated equipment is used to perform many processes in various industries such as welding, paint finishing, and material handling to name a few. Manufacturers of automated equipment include companies like ABB, FANUC, and Dürr.
The use of automated equipment within industrial applications too dangerous or complex for direct human involvement is particularly popular. Such applications include painting booths, in part because of the potentially toxic environment a painting booth can create for human occupants. Further, automated equipment is frequently used in welding applications. This allows for more consistent weld quality and reduces the risk of injury to a human operator due to the extreme temperatures, toxic fumes, or airborne debris created during the process.
With the use of automated equipment to perform industrial tasks, comes the cost of maintaining and cleaning said equipment. With regards to a painting booth, because the paint is often applied to objects through a spraying application, the robotic equipment is susceptible to having some of the airborne paint particles accumulate on its surface, thereby potentially damaging the equipment and/or contaminating the object being painted, particularly if some of the wet or dried paint drips/sheds off during the process. Further the use of automated equipment for welding processes similarly puts the equipment at risk of being damaged by welding slag or the extreme temperatures. These costs have spawned the creation of several preventative measures to protect automated equipment.
One process that has been used to address the above-referenced problems is to cover the automated equipment with a water-soluble polymeric film, such as ENVIRO-FILM™, which is manufactured by RJ Hanlon Company, Inc. of Westfield, Ind. However, as the automated equipment can have more than 10 axis pivot points, protecting the equipment without snagging, tearing or causing the protective covering around the equipment to prematurely wear can prove difficult. As such, there is a need to prevent protective coverings from becoming damaged, torn or prematurely worn as the automated equipment is moved about its various axis pivot points. The present disclosure is intended to address and improve upon these and other known deficiencies and challenges of the prior art.